Biomedical subjects

Edward M Vital

Publications and source records attributed to Edward M Vital.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Abatacept.

New therapies, in particular the tumor necrosis factor-alpha-blocking drugs, have led to improved control of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis for a proportion of patients. There remains a need for therapies for patients who do not respond to these drugs or in whom they are contraindicated or not tolerated. There is evidence that T cells are involved in the initiation and perpetuation of rheumatoid arthritis. Abatacept is the first in a new class of drugs targeted at T-cell function in autoimmune disease: the costimulation blockers. It has shown safety and efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis. Further trials of this and other costimulation blockers are in progress in rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases.

Abatacept↗

PubMed2006

Rituximab: novel B-cell depletion therapy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Significant numbers of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) suffer from disease that is refractory to both conventional therapy and newer biological agents such as TNF-alpha inhibitors. These patients may respond insufficiently, lose an effective response, develop toxicity or carry contraindications to such agents. Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody against CD20 that effectively depletes B cells in peripheral blood, has been licensed for the treatment of certain haematological malignancies for almost 10 years. B cells are now known to have multiple key roles in the pathogenesis of RA. Data is now available that indicates efficacy and safety of B-cell depletion with rituximab in the treatment of RA in a variety of patient groups. The clinical outcomes from these studies, together with its safety profile, have led to rituximab being licensed for the treatment of patients with RA who have failed to obtain benefit from anti-TNF-alpha agents.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed2005

Co-stimulatory blockade as therapy for rheumatoid arthritis.

There is substantial evidence that rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which T cells are aberrantly activated. Existing therapies, including anti-tumor necrosis factor therapies, are successful for many patients, but the goal of lasting remission still frequently proves elusive. One novel therapeutic strategy is the blockade of T-cell co-stimulation to modulate T-cell activation. The first co-stimulation blocker to reach clinical trials is abatacept (CTLA4Ig). Initial abatacept trials have shown promise and further phase III trials are underway.

Animals↗